


A Little Role Reversal

by mundaneone



Category: Glee
Genre: Alternate Universe, Multi, Role Reversal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-10-17
Updated: 2011-10-17
Packaged: 2017-10-24 17:39:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,879
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/266134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mundaneone/pseuds/mundaneone
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In an AU in which the geeks are the popular ones and the jocks are the losers Noah Puckerman is bullied by one Kurt Hummel.  Doesn’t mean he isn’t head over heels though.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Little Role Reversal

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: http://community.livejournal.com/glee_angst_meme/336.html?thread=492880
> 
> Originally posted on LJ 05-19-10  
> A prequel and sequel were written by test_kard_girl and they can be found here: http://test-kard-girl.livejournal.com/tag/reverseverse

There’s nothing odd about Noah Puckerman staring longingly at the table four over to the left and three rows up from where he himself is seated.  Around that table the rag-tag collection of individuals that make up the McKinley High glee club chatter happily to one another.  He watches as Rachel Berry and Kurt Hummel sit side by side like a king and queen on a throne.  Puck stares for several moments longer until Kurt Hummel’s cold blue eyes meet his own and he has to look away from the sneer he already sees forming.

People like him don’t get to look at people like Kurt Hummel.  See Puck is a running back for the football team and he’s not much else.  And in the world they live in a person whose only crowning achievement is the ability to run across a field with a ball isn’t exactly held in high esteem.  But people like Berry and Hummel?  Oh Hell yeah.  They’re smart, multi-talented creatures who can sing and dance and calculate the speed of light or some shit.  And that, that makes them important, better, _popular_ , a thing that Puck has never been and never will be for as long as he lives. 

Beside him he feels Finn go ramrod straight with tension, hears him hiss “ _shit_ Kurt’s coming over here.”

And doesn’t that just make his day?  Puck heaves a sigh and looks up to see Kurt fucking Hummel in his too skinny jeans and his perfect hair sauntering over.  As he passes them the other kids turn to watch, morbid curiosity and spiteful glee on their faces at the prospect of watching what is undoubtedly going to be Puck’s utterly humiliating belittlement.  Behind Kurt the rest of the glee club are grinning at one another, Rachel rests her chin in the palm of her hand and watches the goings on with a bored sort of curiosity while Mercedes turns to whisper something to Tina, huge smiles on their faces. 

He can’t avoid it any longer and Puck forces himself to turn and look at Kurt who has reached their table.  Kurt hops up onto the table where a second ago a jock’s lunch had been resting (the dude had wisely and hastily moved it before Kurt could sit in it) and reclines back on his hands, slender legs kicking back and forth gently. 

Of all the most popular kids the one you should fear more than all the others is Kurt Hummel.  Rachel Berry rules the school with a quiet detachment and general indifference toward the rest of the population.  She’s amazing and well aware of it.  She is, however, completely self centered and can’t even be bothered to bully the other kids due to the tight schedule she keeps.  Mercedes has a bit of a mean streak but she’s certainly preferable to what’s about to happen.  Because Kurt Hummel?  He has the most vicious tongue of them all.  It’s sharp and wicked and even if you’ve never spoken he seems to instinctively know exactly where to strike to make it hurt the most. 

Puck has been Kurt Hummel’s prime target for a while now, due to the unfortunate first time he came to school with a Mohawk.  Kurt Hummel’s pretty blue eyes had taken one look at it and he hasn’t stopped purring cruelties in Puck’s face since. 

“Why, Noah was there something you wanted?”  Kurt leans further back and Puck forces his eyes to stay on Kurt’s face.  Puck’s known about his rather unfortunate crush on Kurt for a while now, can’t help the way his eyes always try to linger.  But this is Kurt Hummel and he is Noah Puckerman and there’s no chance in hell that Kurt will ever smile at him in a way that isn’t spiteful.  

“Kurt, hey man,” Finn says beside him and Puck is almost grateful.  Finn is probably the dumbest person in school but for some reason the glee kids seem to like him well enough.  Kurt tilts his head and graces Finn with one of his rare smiles.  “Puck didn’t mean anything by it, you know, just spaced.”

And Puck nods along, like he’s just some stupid jock who gazes pathetically at the gleek table and _wants_ with all he has.  It hurts more than it should to know that that’s exactly what he is.  He jerks sharply when he feels nimble fingers scrape along his scalp and scratch like one would a dog.

“Well,” Kurt says condescendingly, “we all know the poor thing just can’t help himself.  What’s the matter, Noah?  Did your father not call you on your birthday again?”  Kurt’s smile is soft but his eyes are malicious and Puck really wishes he could hate him.  He thinks everything would be easier if he could just bring himself to hate Kurt Hummel. 

Kurt turns his body and crosses his legs like the girls do.  With his hand still on Puck’s head he’s practically curled around the taller boy and Puck fights down a blush.  If the table wasn’t there Kurt would be in his lap he’s sitting so close.

 “You know, Noah,” Kurt continues on as if there isn’t an audience of over a hundred people watching them eagerly, “I’ve always wondered did your daddy just take off on you or did he do something so terrible the police had to take him away?”  For the next part Kurt leans in even closer, traces his hand down Puck’s face to tilt his chin upward and draws him close enough to whisper in his ear, “personally I think he did things to you he shouldn’t have and that’s the reason you are what you are.” 

In another world Kurt Hummel would never dare say such things to him.  In another world Puck would lunge forward and punch him in his pretty little face and nobody would stop him.  In another world he’d lean forward and kiss him.  But this isn’t any of those places and here if Puck even looks like he’s about to inflict bodily harm the rest of the school would be on him and drag him away before he even pulled his arm back to take a swing.  Finn would stop him if no one else can. 

As if his words aren’t punishment enough Kurt leans forward a bit more and presses a kiss to Puck’s cheek.  Kurt’s lips are soft and warm and Puck’s blood buzzes pleasantly at the sensation of them on his skin.  He thinks he’d endure any number of Kurt’s verbal tortures if it’ll put that sparkle in those blue-blue eyes. 

Kurt hops from the table and offers the pale-faced jocks a little wave before he practically skips back to the gleek table.  Puck really wishes he could look away but he’s never been able to help himself before.  And if while he’s watching he notices Rachel Berry regarding him with a wickedly calculating stare he pretends not to notice and looks away. 

***

It’s during free period that Rachel brings it up.  Kurt is applying a new color of nail-polish to Mercedes’ nails and Rachel slinks into the chair beside him.  He raises a perfectly shaped eyebrow at her, well aware that if Rachel is sitting down beside him instead of practicing for this or that then she wants something.

“That Finn Hudson,” she says far too casually to be real, “he’s kind of cute, don’t you think?”

Oh this is hilarious.  Kurt’s smile is slightly condescending, “certainly.  All of them are.  A bunch of uselessly pretty faces with no viable skills aside from manual labor.  Really Rachel what are you thinking?” 

But Rachel is already past the point where they can persuade her not to do something.  That’s the trouble with Rachel; she doesn’t bring something up unless she’s already made up her mind on what to do.  Mercedes shares a smile with him, amused and resigned. 

“I was just thinking maybe its time to shake things up.  I mean, after my horrid breakup with Jacob-“

“Well unlike Finn Jacob has a high standing on the social ladder.  Rachel come on now, surely there’s a mathlete just waiting to go up a few points by appearing on your arm.  This could very well prove to be social suicide.” 

Rachel snots, as if the idea of anything affecting her throne is utterly preposterous.  It is, of course.  Of all the kids in their class Rachel has the highest probability of being a success after graduation, thus insuring her elevated status on the food chain. 

“Like I was _saying_ ,” she continues on, “I was thinking it could be an experiment of sorts.  Like that movie you love so much?”  She leans in, all bright eyes and wicked smiles and looking much like Kurt imagines he does most the time.  “Come on Kurt, don’t tell me you aren’t curious.  What would they do?  What happens when we slum it?”  Behind him Mercedes starts clapping her hands and sounds generally enthusiastic. 

Even so Kurt isn’t convinced yet.  He’s the second most popular kid in school, and he is rather fond of his reputation.  “Why do you keep throwing ‘we’ around?  If you want to go and try and convince everyone that Finn Hudson is suddenly a viable choice be my guest.  Just don’t go dragging me into it.”

“But Kurt,” she shakes his arm, nails digging in, “it won’t work if it’s just me!  They’ll all think I’ve completely lost it and then where will I be?  But if you help me, if we make it look like some sort of _trend_ then it’ll be fine and I can take Finn out on a test drive.

“Besides,” she adds as she traces nonsense patterns on his jacket, “I think Noah Puckerman may have a bit of a crush on you…” 

It’s not until he’s in his car later on that he realizes what he agreed to.  With a low groan Kurt bangs his head against the steering wheel and hopes he comes down with the flu so that he won’t have to go to school the next day. 

Of course it’s not meant to be and Mercedes swoops in out of nowhere before his foot is even all the way through the entryway the next morning.  She pulls him tight to her side and rattles off the latest gossip that has occurred since he left yesterday.  She gives him fair warning, he supposes, but it’s still a shock to arrive at the usual meeting spot to see not only Artie and Tina but Finn Hudson.  And all of them looking completely baffled that the football player is there. 

None more so than Finn himself who keeps shifting awkwardly and shooting fretful glances in first Rachel and then Kurt’s direction.  Rachel turns from her locker and spies Kurt; she looks him over and then hauls him off to hiss at him in private. 

“What are you doing!?”  They shriek at each other in the same instant.  Then they blink and Rachel plows on ahead of him before he has a chance to get the next word in.

“I thought we agreed,” she tells him with her nails indenting little crescents into his skin, “that for the sake of my curiosity we were going to date one of the jocks?”

“We agreed _yesterday_ , how did you manage to convince Finn Hudson you actually wanted to date him before school has even started?  I haven’t exactly been here long enough to get my hands on a waste of genetics yet, thank you very much.”

Rachel glares at him and shoves him down the hall where most of the athletes hang out with express instructions to just pick a guy and make it quick before the gossip starts up.  Sometimes Kurt really hates her. 

***

Puck doesn’t think the day could get any weirder and it hasn’t really even started yet.  Not ten minutes ago Rachel Berry herself had come right up to them and smiled at Finn.  Smiled.  At _Finn_ before taking his hand and leading him away.  Which was just nuts, utterly insane.  Finn who had the intelligence of a toaster was holding hands with the school’s queen bee. 

With as much subtlety as he can manage Puck keeps an eye on the gleeks.  Artie and Tina, the school’s current power couple now that Rachel and Jacob are broken up, seem as surprised as he is to see Finn standing awkwardly next to Rachel.  The only one who doesn’t seem too surprised is Kurt Hummel.  Kurt Hummel who Rachel Berry drags away and then the two of them exchange what looks to be some pretty harsh words before Rachel rolls her eyes and shoves Kurt.  Shoves him in their direction.  In _his_ direction. 

In hindsight it’s nothing but a stroke of luck that Kurt spots Puck before he catches sight of any of the other jocks hovering a little further away.  Now whether that luck is good or bad is hard to say but one minute Puck is busy trying to look like he hasn’t been watching Kurt and the next Hummel’s eyes land on him and stay there. 

Three steps and suddenly Kurt is in Puck’s space, small, _talented_ fingers on his chest and those oh-so-pretty blue eyes gazing up at him.  Before he can even draw breath to question, thank, beg, whatever Kurt leans in and steals Puck’s breath straight away. 

It’s horrifically perfect, as far as kisses go.  Kurt’s lips are just as soft and warm against his as they were against his cheek.  It’s gentle, nearly caring.  His hands are on him, yes, but they just rest there lightly and if Puck really wanted to he could get away.  It’s every fantasy he’s ever had, every wet dream he ever woke up from late at night.  It’s everything he’s ever wanted and knows he can’t have.  Whatever this is, whatever Kurt Hummel has planned it isn’t going to be fun.  It’s going to leave Puck aching and pining for the rest of his life while Kurt sits high above him and smiles. 

When Kurt pulls away Puck tries to follow and it’s the first time those hands against his chest do more than rest there.  Puck snaps back to himself, jerks himself upright and finally takes stock of the situation.  Rachel Berry holding hands with Finn Hudson, Kurt Hummel kissing him, the eyes of the entire hallway on him.  Puck darts a look at his fellow jocks who are all watching with wide-eyed fascination.  They look as shell-shocked as he feels and through it all Kurt just rubs his fingers against the fabric of Puck’s shirt and smiles at anyone he catches looking too long.  And if there’s anything worse than having Kurt degrading you with his wicked little tongue it’s definitely having him smile that way at you. 

Once he’s cowed the on lookers to his satisfaction Kurt turns his attention back to Puck.  His lids drop slightly and Puck struggles with trying to breathe because _damn_.  “What’s the matter, Noah?”  Puck doesn’t seem capable of finding his voice just yet so he shakes his head and wonders when he’s going to wake up.  But Kurt simply smiles at him and links his arm with Puck’s and says in his sweetly high voice, “walk me to class?”

As if Puck would ever say no. 

***

After third period the full force of his situation hits him and Puck ends up wasting half his lunch hour in the restroom freaking out.   There’s no way the entire thing won’t end up being the abusive type of relationships Miss P has all over her office.  Puck’s not as dumb as everyone seems to think.  He sees how Rachel clings to Finn, sees the way Kurt barely manages to abort rolling his eyes whenever he and Puck pass each other.  Whatever this is it doesn’t actually have anything to do with him, not really.  Puck punches the mirror as hard as he can and almost relishes the way the glass cracks, how pieces topple into the sink and leave nothing but a fractured image behind.

At lunch Puck is sitting beside Finn at their usual place by the trashcans when he feels warm hands slink over his shoulders and down his chest from behind.

“What’re you boys doing over here?” Kurt’s breath puffs against his ear and Puck goes rigged at the sensation of that lean body pressed all across his back.  Kurt’s fingers clench and release in the fabric of Puck’s shirt a couple times as he adds, “You’re with us now and that means you _eat_ with us.  So come on,” the feeling of warmth leaves and the arms pull away, “up up up!” 

Finn scrambles up easily, practically bounds over with his tray in the direction of the gleek table.  Puck watches for a moment, notes the way everyone at the surrounding tables balks at the sight of something so out of the norm.  Puck takes longer, looks at how the rest of the school struggles with how to react to it all, how Kurt seems so casual with his touches but so quick to back away as soon as he can. 

“Well?”  Kurt’s standing a pace away, hands resting on hips.  He looks like he’s trying to decide if Puck is worth dealing with or if it would just be easier to turn to any of the other jocks at the table.  He catches those blue eyes flicking over to Mike for a second and that’s all it takes for Puck to pounce up.  His lunch was finished during second period and so he doesn’t have anything to carry with him.  For the first steps he hesitates before deciding to sling an arm over the slighter boy’s shoulder.  He can feel how every muscle in Kurt’s body goes tense in a single instant.  But Kurt doesn’t shove him off, doesn’t pull away, and Puck counts that as a victory even if it feels like a failure. 

***

“I can play the guitar.”

“Oh?”  That’s more than Kurt’s said in the past hour.  Puck’s been lounging on Kurt’s sofa for the better part of the day and they’ve hardly spoken as Kurt bends and dips in ways that cause a terribly uncomfortable tightness in Puck’s pants. 

“Yeah.  I can sing too.” 

“Is that so?”  Kurt twists in a way that looks impossible with his feet and hands both pressed to the ground.  One hand leaves the ground and Kurt does another impossible twist that somehow results with him landing on his feet in front of Puck.  That limber body moves into Puck’s personal space, hands resting on the back of the couch.  “So let me get this straight, you expect me to believe that you’re something other than a mindless, talentless, waste of air?”  Kurt’s laugh is harsh and cruel and Puck once more wishes he could look at this lovely creature and feel anything besides awe. 

Puck pushes himself further back into the cushions and swallows back the parts of him that want to bow down before pretty much the king of the school.  “I can have layers, you know.  Just because I’m built and I’m on the football team I can’t have other ‘talents’?” 

Kurt’s smile is completely condescending as he slips onto Puck’s lap.  Those long fingers Puck admires so curl around Puck’s larger hands and haul them up so they rest against the slight indentions at Kurt’s waist. 

“You don’t go to math class, you’re flunking biology, and the last time you passed a test in Spanish was your freshman year.”  Puck opens his mouth to protest but Kurt’s warm and strawberry flavored lips press sweetly against his own.  “But,” Kurt adds as he pulls away, a wicked smile in place, “I have it on good authority that the last poem you turned in to English class was rather lovely and lyrical.” 

“My father,” Kurt says to him in a voice that’s high and breathy, “is a lot like you.  Played football when he was younger.  And he’s so damn _proud_ that he ended up with me.  Says I get everything that I am and will ever achieve is due to my mother.”  The next time Kurt moves his hips press in a little bit closer, a little bit rougher and Puck has to bite back a moan. 

“You know what they say about me?”  He continues, lips so close Puck more feels the words than hears them.  “They say I’m some big slut, that as soon as I get a man home I’m in his pants.  And why shouldn’t I, huh?  I’m one of the most popular kids in school, can have any _one_ I want.  But you, Noah.  You can’t.  You may be able to scrape the bottom of the barrel.   Have a few pretty and empty faces to pick from maybe.  A cheerleader with the IQ of a cookie or… or maybe,” he loops his arms around Puck’s neck, “maybe a jock or two who’s willing to let go of his ideals of heterosexuality.  But you don’t want them, do you Noah?  You’ve never wanted them.  All you have ever wanted,” a kiss so tender it _hurts_ and gentle fingers resting lightly on his cheeks and jaw, “is me.”

Kurt draws away, “I’ve seen how you watch me.  In the cafeteria, in the hallways.  I’m used to people staring, the way they look at me.  They worship me for my popularity, for my talents and skills.  They watch me the way they watch Rachel.  But you, do you know how you look at me?”  Kurt laughs in his face, “You’re so damn pathetic.  Always looking at me like I’m… special.  You look like you want to sweep me off my feet and save me.  I don’t need saving,” the scent of strawberries and Puck thinks he’s going to be sick; “I don’t need you.  The only reason I ever even look at you, Noah, is because I can’t stand every thing that you are.” 

When Kurt kisses him again he tastes like spite and strawberries and the bitter aftertaste of loneliness.

***

Four days after the time spent in Kurt’s basement Finn and Puck have their first time alone since the entire dating the most popular kids in school thing started.  They’re sitting on the bleachers and slurping down a couple of slushies and watching the track team jog pass. 

“Rachel’s teaching me how to sing,” Finn tells him. 

“Oh yeah?”

Finn nods his head almost absently and sips from his cherry slushy.  “I apparently have a ‘plethora of untapped potential’.”  At Puck’s blank look he cracks a smile, “that’s Rachel Speak for I’m pretty good.”  He pauses and takes another drink, “I remember you singing sometimes.  Do you and Kurt do any of that together?”

Puck can’t help the sardonic smile that crosses his lips at that.  “Sometimes he does stuff while I’m around.  Practices dance moves or something.  He doesn’t sing and neither do I.”  He tips backward and stares up at the sun through slit eyes.  “He doesn’t like me very much.  I think he’s only with me so Rachel can be with you.” 

“That’s a dumb reason to be with somebody.”

“Yeah.”

The sun shines high above them.

***

Kurt’s doing Tina’s hair during their free-period and Puck’s slouched over in the chairs nearby.  The glee kids are chatting happily with one another and Puck isn’t blind to the fact that Finn’s being integrated well into their mix.  Apparently Finn has been showing off his singing and drum playing skills which are, evidently, passable enough that he’s been accepted as more than a simple little showpiece for their queen.

Puck sits and watches Rachel smile at Finn, watches as she places her hand on his arm and sings a duet with him over in their own little corner.  He cuts his eyes over to Kurt bent over Tina from behind.  Kurt has a rare soft smile on his face one that looks gentle and loving and so damn perfect Puck wants to bash someone’s face in just so he can relieve some of the pressure he’s feeling welling up in his chest. 

Of course that’s the moment Kurt turns to look at him, that serene smile still on his face when their eyes meet and Puck feels all of it melt away when Kurt’s smile doesn’t slip.

***

“So according to Jacob,” Kurt says to him some days later while Puck flips through the channels on Kurt’s big-screen, “Rachel and Finn are officially socially acceptable.  The rest of the student body has seen Finn sing and evidently Mercedes is planning on making moves on your teammate Matt.”

Puck makes some noncommittal sound in the back of the throat, hopes he doesn’t sound as helpless as he feels.

“Yes,” Kurt buffs his nails and is pointedly not looking at him anymore, “so the way I see it there’s no reason for us to keep this entire charade up.”  When Puck emits something that sounds like his heart is breaking Kurt’s head jerks up and he stares at him hard.  “While I admit I am quite the catch I’m sure you’re more than eager to go back to doing…whatever it was you were doing before I snagged you in that hallway.”  And then, almost to himself, “although I suppose this means I don’t actually get to say mean spirited things to you anymore.” 

“Won’t that be a shame,” Puck mutters when he hauls himself up and walks away. 

***

They don’t officially break up.  Kurt simply stops talking to him and Puck doesn’t even try to force him.  The other jocks jeer at him for it, shove him and laugh in his face about how he couldn’t keep the little princess happy.  Of course the fact that Kurt had actually been with Puck makes the others think they somehow have some sort of chance with him.  Puck can’t help but smile when he catches sight of his peers strutting past Kurt like a bunch of peacocks.  It feels better than it probably should that Kurt only ever looks at them with disdain. 

Unlike Finn he didn’t really fit in with the glee kids.  He doesn’t get invited over when Tina throws a huge party that’s attended by half the school, or when Artie breaks into his dad’s liquor cabinet and the entire group of them drink until their vision blurs.  Rachel sometimes watches him like she’s weighing a whole bunch of options in her head, like she’s trying to decide what to do with him. 

However much his fellow jocks may tease it’s abundantly obvious that his brief relationship with Kurt has elevated his social status at least to some degree.  If Kurt’s not with them the glee kids will smile at him when they pass him in the hallways.  These slight little smiles that all popular kids have.  A “look, see I’m smiling at you that means I know who you are but don’t think you can actually talk to me” smile.  Kurt and Rachel don’t really have one of those.  They’re so far up the food chain that they don’t even need to dish out smiles like those to win points.

On a Tuesday Puck finds himself in the library during fourth period.  He slept through his math class during second period but the complete lack of sleep he’d gotten the night before means he’s gearing for another nap.  The library isn’t too busy outside of study hall so he’s feeling confident that he can find a nice quiet corner to curl up in.  What he most certainly isn’t expecting to find is Kurt and one of the drama kids. 

His name’s Brian and Puck instantly hates everything about him. 

It feels like someone super-glued his feet to the cheap ass carpeting and he can’t move.  He just stands there and watches as Kurt hooks a finger in the collar of Brian’s shirt and drags him in close.  Puck can’t tell if they’re speaking or kissing but either way he feels sick just looking at them.  The entire situation becomes exponentially worse when Kurt cracks open one of those pretty blue eyes and looks right at him.  He stares at Puck for a long moment before a languid, sick little smile spreads across his face. 

Kurt turns his head and whispers something into Brian’s ear and Puck watches while Brian pulls away slightly to look his way.  His hands are on Kurt’s waist and his lips are red and wet from shared kisses.  He has everything Puck had, that he still wants, and he doesn’t even know it. 

It’s the straw that broke the camel’s back.  Puck’s across the room before he’s even aware he’s moving.  He moves up behind Kurt and hauls him backward, arms going up under Kurt’s own, hooking the smaller man’s shoulders in the crook of his elbows and _yanking_.  He can’t see Kurt’s face from his position but he imagines it can’t look all that different from Brian’s own expression.  Eyes wide and mouth dropped open.  Brian’s basically looking at him as if Puck walked right up to the Mona Lisa and threw catsup on it. 

Kurt flails pathetically in his arms but Puck can’t be bothered to care.  He just hoists Kurt into his arms and carries him into one of the private study rooms (not that anyone actually uses them for that but that’s beside the point).  When Puck sets Kurt down upon the desk and takes a step back he realizes just what it was he did.

He just manhandled Kurt fucking Hummel.  Shit damn mother-fuck he is so dead.  Kurt’s eyes blaze and his knuckles are so far passed white Puck doesn’t quite know what to call it. 

“Do you know what you just did?”  Barely above a whisper, more hissed than anything and Puck is actually surprised Kurt’s still even here.  “You realize that because there was a witness I’m going to have to punish you right?  Get some of your jock friends to cause you bodily harm or something equally atrocious?  Generally we frown upon physical abuse but people are going to expect something and I’m going to give it them.” 

He leans back and eyes Puck like he’s some annoying insect that he’d like to quickly squash and be done with.  “So I hope that whatever it is you want is worth it.”

Puck thinks about afternoons spent sprawled out on a couch while Kurt stretches, thinks about sitting around the music room with the glee kids.  He thinks about Kurt’s little half formed smiles, about the taste of strawberries and the smell of vanilla that follows Kurt around wherever he goes.  Finn smiling and happy, Rachel’s calm regard.  He recalls the look in Kurt’s eyes when he’d talked about his reputation, how empty his voice had seemed.

***

By fifth period everyone knows about how he practically kidnapped Kurt in the library.  Brian, being who and what he is, had apparently taken a few liberties when telling the story.  So much so that when Puck hears the rumor that’s currently circulating it sounds a lot like a cheesy romance novel where Puck is a pirate and Kurt his unwilling (and then later very very _very_ willing) captive sans the costumes. 

Tina and Artie regard him with raised eyebrows and expressions that can’t seem to decide on being amused, confused, or angry.  It makes Puck wonder which version of it they’ve heard.  One of them involves him actually raping Kurt on the table while Brian watched. 

Hey, it’s high school.  The rumors don’t have to make sense to travel around. 

So when school lets out for the day Puck isn’t at all surprised when the hockey team snags him on his way to his bike and haul him over to the dumpsters.  As he lays there amongst the garbage bags he hears the laughter of the students and contemplates whether the embarrassment will be worse now or if he should wait a few more seconds.  The decision is made for him when none other than Kurt Hummel himself pokes his head over the lip of the dumpster and offers up a deadpan expression.

“You aren’t seriously going to just lie there are you?  Because while I sincerely wish someone would set your clothes on fire I don’t think you’re doing them any favors letting them saturate like that.” 

Puck hops out of the garbage, notices with a wry sort of amusement that Kurt hastens to back away from him as though the filth Puck was just laying in can somehow jump over and ruin all of Kurt’s lovely clothes.  And while Kurt stands there as though he’s trying to decide what to do Puck watches the rest of the student body busily trying to pretend they aren’t paying complete attention to the two of them. 

“I didn’t actually sic them on you, you know,” Kurt doesn’t look at him when he says it instead opting to pull out a nail buffer and keep his eyes firmly on his hands.  “But by the time I got to class Brian had already informed anyone who would listen that you attacked my virtue in the library.”  It should sound sexual but to Puck’s utter amazement Kurt somehow manages to make it sound like doing the damn laundry. 

From the corner of his eye he can see Rachel watching them.  She has this wide smile on, like she just won some sort of competition.  Beside her Mercedes just looks amused and Puck really wonders what they think is so damn funny.  It’s not like Kurt’s about to express his undying love here, not like Puck is ever going to be anything but that loser he used so Rachel could get her man.

Puck turns and walks away and isn’t at all disappointed when Kurt does nothing to stop him. 

***

Now that he’s made the decision to fight for Kurt things fall quite easily into place.  It’s kind of cheesy, he thinks as he strums a few notes on his guitar alone in his room, trying to win someone over with a song.  But it seems like the type of gesture that Kurt would appreciate and Puck’s pretty willing to try anything at this point. 

He takes a page from 10 Things I Hate About You and decides that if he’s going to burst into song in front of the entire student body in an attempt to make Kurt Hummel fall helplessly in love with him then he’s going to go all out. 

Bribing the school band turns out not to be necessary.  The first chair flute player listens to his plot to “win the heart of the fair maiden” (her words, not his) and practically falls all over herself helping him plan the entire thing out completely free of charge.  “Just like in that movie” she’d said while she’d been convincing the kid who was in charge of all the audio equipment used by the drama club. 

When they’d beaten the details practically to death there was no reason to put it off any longer and Puck gathers his courage and prepares to give it his all.  At lunch the next day Puck disregards every single bit of social decorum and marches up to the gleek table and drops to one knee before Kurt as if the stares and the whispers mean absolutely nothing.

Kurt, for his part, doesn’t even look interested.  “And what do you think you’re doing?” 

“Just,” Puck frowns, “just for once will you _listen_?”  And wonder of wonders Kurt closes his mouth and doesn’t say a damn word as Puck strums along on his guitar and puts his entire heart into the song.  Kurt sits there and he listens as the first few lines of “With Me” by Sum 41 ring loud and clear.  And when the band members strategically placed around the cafeteria stand up and play along with him Puck can’t help but love the way Kurt’s whole face lights up, the way his eyes go distant and dreamy. 

Once he’s finished Puck settles his guitar back in his lap and that sick little smile crosses of his crosses Kurt’s lips.  “Ah.  I see.  You’re a bit of a masochist aren’t you?”  And then he leans in real close, “I’m no good for you, you know that don’t you?”

“I love you.”  Kurt jerks back as if he’s been burned, eyes comically wide.  Puck sort of wonders if anyone’s ever said that to him before, wonders if any of them meant it.  “I love you even though you’ve never said one nice thing to me, even if half the school thinks you’re a slut,” he ignores the affronted look that briefly crosses Kurt’s face, “I don’t even care if you hate me.  I just thought you should know that I love you. I’ve _always_ loved you.” 

There’s nothing but silence.  Around them the rest of the student body does their best to pretend they aren’t listening to every word.  The glee kids don’t even bother.  Rachel watches with that curious mix of apathy and interest only she seems capable of.  Mercedes and Tina lean in extra close, whispering to one another and casting looks between Kurt and Puck like they aren’t sure which one they want to root for.

Finally, _finally_ , Kurt stands up.  He grabs Puck’s hand and drags him from the cafeteria.  They ignore the catcalls and the sudden flood of conversation behind them until the door of the bathroom closes.  Kurt leans back against the sinks and stares at Puck for a long moment before heaving a sigh.  

“You know I’m damaged goods, right?”  He says, pretty blue eyes fixed firmly on the cheap tile floor.  “And I’m not very nice.  I look down on anyone who doesn’t dress on par with my standards,” a brief glance Puck’s way, “like _you_.”   He shifts, looking entirely too uncomfortable for Puck to feel at ease with where this is going, “I just… how can you like me?  I don’t understand.  You should hate me!”

There are tears in Kurt’s eyes and Puck thinks he gets it.  He remembers watching one of those after school specials with his little sister about bullying once.  Something about bullies usually coming from abusive or broken homes.  He knows Kurt’s mom is dead, knows she’s been gone for a long time.  He wonders what else there is lying in Kurt’s metaphorical closet.  He knows what shrinks say about people who sleep around, remembers how even when Kurt’s kissed him he seemed to hate himself.

“You’re completely deranged,” Kurt’s saying, “totally psycho.  You aren’t supposed to go for the ones who treat you like dirt!   You’re supposed to fall for some stupid cheerleader with bad fashion sense and make dumb babies with equally poor taste.  You aren’t supposed to even look at me let alone say you _love_ me.  You can’t love me.  Nobody loves me!”

“Nobody _knows_ you.”

“Neither do you!”

“But I want to.” 

And that’s it right there.  Kurt balks for a second like the idea of it is inconceivable.  His eyes are guarded, wary, but he doesn’t look angry any more. “You… you’re actually serious.”

“Duh,” because did Kurt not see him sing a song in front of the entire school?  “I could recite a poem or something if that’ll convince you.  Maybe sing another song?  Come on dude, like you said I’ve only ever had eyes for you.”

Nothing changes in Kurt’s expression for an agonizingly long moment.   Puck knows he’s mulling it over but he can’t figure out which way the slighter boy is leaning.  “I’m horrifically high maintenance,” Kurt finally says and Puck honestly can’t believe his luck, “and just because I’m agreeing to date you for real now doesn’t mean I’m not going to insult every cringe worthy article of clothing you own.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it.”  Puck moves in for a hug or a kiss or _something_ but Kurt backs off.  Keeps the space between him.  He still doesn’t look like he’s entirely behind the idea, like he doesn’t really trust Puck’s intentions.  If the situation were reversed Puck thinks he’d be the same way.  If the kid you picked on for years starts begging you to date him you might suspect foul play.  A trap or a con or any other variation. 

“I was using you, before I mean.”  And Puck nods because, yeah, he knew that already.  “And I didn’t feel bad about it at all.  I’d do it again.”

“Kurt,” because this has gone on long enough, “I don’t care.  I’ll never care.”

“You’ll think differently years down the line when the psychologist asks you about self esteem issues and spousal abuse and-”

And that is pretty much the moment Puck decides they don’t need to keep talking any more.  He draws Kurt in close despite how he tries to shove him off.  Their first kiss as a real couple is pretty much Kurt talking while their lips are touching.  But after a moment Kurt heaves an exasperated sigh and loops his slender arms around Puck’s neck and just goes with it. 


End file.
